Railway interlocking apparatus



Jan. 20, 1931.

J. J. vANHoRN ET AL 1,789,715

RAILWAY INTERLOCKING APPARATUS 1929 2 sheets-sheet i 5 SLT? Jzl Filed OGt.

INVENTOR S I Jan. 20, 1931.

J. J. VANHORN ET AL RAILWAY INTERLOCKING APPARATUS 1929 '2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15

INVENTORS'.

Vgn/'torn' @hd H. l/nntasssl,

any J Patented Jan. 20, 1931 t miran si'rA'rEs PATENT-*OFFICE JAMES J.- VANHORN, or w1LKrivsisrme, AND HARRY c. VAN-rassen, or PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION SWITCH f& SIGNAL COlVIPANY,

i SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPGRATION-OF PENNSYLVANIA' OFA nAiLwaYiNTERLocxING ArrARA'rns i Application filed October 15, i929.' Serial No. 399,762.

Our invention relates to interlocking apparatus for the control of railwayl switches and signals, and has'for an object the provision of novel and improved means for t-he release of detector locking in the event of failure of. the track circuits which control:

. such locking.

lVe will describe three forms of interlocking apparatus embodying ourvinvention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticview showing one form of apparatus embodying our' invention, adapted for use in connection vwith'alternat-ing current track circuits. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a modiiicationof aporti'on of the apparatus shown in Fig.A 1, butadapted forsuse with track'circuits of' any character.V

Fig.` 3 is'a diagrammatic view showing another modification of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and embodying our invention, and including an auxiliary'interlocking machine lever for therelease of the electric locking.

`Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the'views.

Referring first to Figpl, the reference characters T1 and T1 designate two parallel railway tracks. Track T1 is divided'by insulated joints 2 toform two track sections A1 and A2, while track 'llzris similarly dividedto form a track section A3. The two tracks are connected by a crossover comprising a. switch H2 located in section A2 and a switch H2a located in section A3. `Thetwo tracks are connected by a second crossover former D?. anda track relay R21,- While. sec,v

tion A3. isfprovided with a similar track c'ira cuit comprising a transformer D3 anda track relay R3. t l f Apowerfof relay P is connected -with the terminals'X. and O ofthesource of track circuit current, so that this relay is normall-y energized, butfbecomes de-energized in the event of failure rent. A c

t Traffic over the sections A1, A2 and A1 is controlled by signals S1, Si, S-and 51 which signals are controlled by suitable apparatus forming no part of our present invention, except that the circuits for these signals include a contact '13 cfa slowacting device E, asl hereinafter explained. V

The switches H1 and H, are controlled by of the source of cura manually operable lever V1, whereas, the

switches H-Zand H2:L are controlled by a second manually operable lever V2; These levers will usually'be included lin an interlocking machine, andqmay control the switches in any suitable manner. The control of the switches bythe levers forms no part of our present invention, and, consequently, the controlling apparatus is omitted from the drawing.A Each lever has a normal position fn, a reverse position r, a normal indica-tion position 7', and areverse indicating fposition t. Lever V1 is provided with an electric lock comprising a magnet'L1N, which controls a dog 2O 4co-acting with a segment 14 to lockV the lever-in its normal position except when the magnet is energized. yThe lever is provided with a second electric lock comprising a magnet L1R, controlling a dog 2O which coacts with asegment 15 to lock the lever in the reverse position except when the magnet is energized. Lever V1 is provided with similar electric locks LZN and LZR. y

' Themanually operable slow-acting device E comprisesa normally closed contact 13 and a normally open Contact 12, which contacts are so arranged that contact13 opens immediately uponthe beginning of the operation of the device, whereas, contact 12 doesnot close until the expiration of a given time in; terval after the operationof the device has begun.`

As Vshown ,in the draw-ing, al1 'parts ofthe apparatus are in their normal positions. Lock magnet L1N of lever V1 is energized by virtue-of a circuit which passes from terminal B of a suitable source of current, through front contact 3 of the power-off relay P, front contact 5 of track relay R3, front Contact 6 of track relay R1, contactrn' of lever V1, and magnetL1N to terminal C ofthe same source ofc current. Lock magnet L2N of lever V2 is likewise energized by virtue of a circuit which passes from terminal B, through front contact 3 of relay P, front contact 5 of relay R2, front contact 7 of relay R2, contact nf of lever V2, and lock magnet L2N to terminalC. It. follows that both levers V1 and V2 are unlocked, so that either lever may be reversed kto reverse the switches which it controls. If,

' to reverse the switches which it controls, 'then if track relays R1 and R3 are both energized,l

the reverse lock magnet L1R will be energized by a circuit which passes over the front contacts of these two relays and contact tr of lever V1. VIt follows that if both of these track relays are energized, lever'V1 may be restored to its normal position, but that if either ofthesc track relays is Cle-energized,

the lever will be locked in its reverse position. Similarly, if lever V2 is reversed and track relays R2 and R2 are both energized, the lever may be restored to its normal position, but if either of these track relays is'de-energized, the lever will be locked in its reverse position.

In the event of failure ofthe source of alternating track circuit current, the powerofi relay P willvlce cle-energized, so that all of the lock magnet circuits will be opened at front contact-S of this relay. The locking may then bereleased by reversing the manually operable slow-acting deviceA E. When Contact 12 of this device closes, an auxiliary circuitwill be closed for lock magnet L1N,

which circuit `passes from K terminal B,

through back contact 3 of relay P, Contact l2 of slow-acting device E, back contact 6 of track relay R1, contact af of lever V1, and the lock magnet L1N to terminal C. If'lever V1 is in thereverse position when this occurs, re-

' verse magnet L1R willbe energized instead of the normal magnet L1N. Assuming that lever V2 is in the normal position, an auxiliaryvci'rcuit for magnet L2N will be closed, which circuit passes from terminal B,

' through back contact 3 of relay P, contact 12 of device El, back contact 7 of track relay R2,

contact af of lever V2, and magnet L2N to terminal C. If lever V2 is in the reverse position when a power failure occurs, magnet L2R instead of magnet L2N will be energized.

The circuits for signals S vare all controlled v the normally closed contact i3 of thel slow- @dan eginning of the operation of tliisdevice, these signals are all placed 1n the stop position and no one of them can be cleared until the device E is restored to its normal'posi-A tion.

It will be seen from the foregoing,that in the event of a failure of the source of track .ctin device E, so that immediately upon theV circuit current, the switch controlling levers n V2 be provided with a similar lamp L2.l

The circuit for each of these lamps is completed through a front contact 4t of the poweroff relay P, so that neither lamp can be lighted when this relay is deenergized even though the slow acting device E may have been operated to close contact l2. kThe completecircuit for lamp L1 is from terminal B through front point of contact 3 ofrelay P, contact 5 of relay R2, front point of contact 6 of relay R1, lamp L1, and front contact 4 of relay P to terminal O. The circuit 'for lamp'L2 will beunderstood without being traced in detail.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the apparatus is the same asthat shown in Fig. 1,`eXcept that the power-off relay is omitted, the apparatus in Fig. 2 being suitable for use with direct current track circuits` which usually have an individual source of current for eachy section. The circuits for the lock magnets are the same as in Fig. l, eXcept'that theseV circuits omit the power-ofi relay contact. In

the event of failure of the track circuit for section A3, track relay R3 will Jbe` de-ienergized, whereupon, the lever lock magnets may be releasedhy the operation of theslow-acting device 141,the Vcircuits forthese magnetsV then including back contact 5 of relay R3. Similarly, in the event of failure of the track circuit for section A1, relay R1 will be deenergized, and the vlock magnets may then be released by a circuit including contact 12 of device E and back contact 6 of relay R1. In the event of failure of the track circuit for section A2, track relay R2 will bev de-energized and the lock vmagnets for lever V2 may then be released by a circuit including a back contact 7 of relay R2.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the apparatus is the same as that shown in Fig; l, except that i [it] the power-ott relay P is omitted and the auxiliary circuits for thelock magnets are controlled by an auxiliary lever V3 incorporated in the same interlocking mach-ine as the levers V1 and V2. Lever V3 is, locked in the normal position by the ce-.action oi' a segment 16 with a slow-acting.manually operable device E1, and can be reversed only upon-the expiration ci a fixed interval of time after the operation of the device E1 has begun. lnimediately upon the beginning of the operation ot the device E1, contact 17 opens, thereby opening the circuits for all the signals governing traffic over the switches controlled by levers V1 and V 2. T he normal circuits for thelock magnets of these levers are the same as in Fig. 2. ln the event of failure of the track circuit for section A3, track relayRs will be cle-energized, and aiter the operation of slow-acting device E1 has been completed lever V3 may be reversed to close an auxiliary circuit for the lock magnets of lever V1, which circuit includes reverse contact 18 of lever V3, back contact 5 oi track relay R3 and front contact 6 of relay R1. The remaining auxiliary circuits for the lock magnets of levers V1 and V2 will be apparent'trom the drawing and need not be traced in detail.

Although we have herein shown and described only three forms of apparatus embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be inade therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described o ur invention, what we claim is:

l. ln combination, a section of railway track provided with a switch, a track circuit including a track relay for said section, a manually operable lever for the control of said switch, an electric lock for said lever, a main circuit for said lock including a front Contact of said relay, a manually operable slow-acting device, and an auxiliary circuit for said lock including a back contact of said track relay and a normally open contact controlled by said slow-acting device.

2. ln combination, a section of railway track provided with a switch, a track circuit including a track relay for said section, Va manually operable lever for the control of said switch, an electric lock for said lever, a main circuit for said lock including a front contact cil said relay, manually operable slow-acting de vice, a signal governing traffic over said switch, a circuit for said signal including a normally closed contact controlled by said slow-acting device, and anauxiliary circuit for said lock including a back contact of said track relay and a normally opencontact controlled by said slow-acting device.

3. In combination, a section of railway l track provided with a switch, a track circuit for said section including a source of alter- `i'iating current and a track relay, a power-off v relay connected with saidl alternating currentY source,; a manually operableslever for the control otsaid switch, an electric lock tor saidlever, a main circuit for said lock including a front contactoic said power-oit relay and a front contact of said track relay, a

manually operable slow-acting device, and an auxiliary-circuit for said lock including a back contact--o-f-said power-oil' relay and a back contact of said track relay as wellvasa normally open Contact' controlled by said slow-acting device.

4..In combination, a section of railway track provided with a switch, a track circuit including a trackrrelay for said section, a manually Yoiierablevlever for the control of` said switch, an electriclock for said lever,` a main circuit for' saidlo'ck including a front ycontact ot said trackrela n an auxiliarv lever f a having a normally open contact, a slow-act-V ing device for releasing 'said auxiliary lever, and an auxiliary circuit for said lock including` a back contact of said track relay and the normally open contact of said auxiliary lever. Y Y

5. In combination, a section ot railway track provided witha switch, a track circuit for said section including a source oi alternating current and track relay, apower-oi relay connected with said alternating current source.A a manually operable lever tor the control of said switch, an electric lock for said lever, a main circuittor said lock including a front contact ot said power-ott relay and a front Contact of said track relay, a manually operable slow-acting device, a signal governing trallic over said switch, a circuit for said signal including a normally closed contact controlled by said slow-acting device, l

and an auxiliary circuit for said lock including a back contact of said power-oft'V relay and a back contact of said track relay aswell as a normally open contact controlled by said slow-acting device.

f 6. In combination, two sections A1 and A2 oi' railway track, track circuits including vtrack relays R1 and R2, respectively for said sections, switches H1 and H2 in said two rio sections respectively, manually operable levu 2 ers V1 and V2 for the control of said switches H1 and H2 respectively, an electric lock lfor each lever, a main circuit for the lock for lever V1 including a front contact oif relay R1, a main circuit for the lock for lever V2 including a front contact of rela-y R2, a manually operable slow-acting device, an auxiliary circuit for the lock for lever V1 including a back contact of relay R1 anda normally open contact controlled by said device, and

an auxiliary circuit for the lock for lever V2 including a back contact of relay R2 and said normally open contact.v v

7. In combination, two sections A1 and A2 of railway track, track vcircuits including track relays R1 and R2 respectively for said Y sections, switches H1 and H2 in saidV tWo sections respectively, manually operable leversl V1 and V2 for the control of said switchesA H? and H2 respectively, an electric lock for eacli lever, a inain circuit for the lock for lever V:L including a front Contact of relayV R1, a 'in' f circuit for the lock for lever V2 including a front Contact ofrela'y R2, a nianually oi eraole slow-acting device, signals governing traiic over said switches, circuits for said signals including a normally closed Contact controlled "by said slow-acting device, an auxiliary circuit Vfor the lock for lever V1 including' a back contact of relay R1 and a normally open contact controlled by said device, and an auxiliary circuit for the lock for lever V2 including a back contact of relay R2 and said normally open contact.,

In testimony Wliereof We alix oursignatures.

JAMES J. VANHORN. .HARRY C. V ANTASSEL, 

